Practical HR Tips, News & Advice. Updated Daily.
On July 4, 2025, President Donald Trump signed into law the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. One of its provisions has been dubbed “no taxes on tips” and provides a tax deduction of up to $25,000 for tips received by employees. The provision is retroactive to January 1, 2025, so certain payroll and reporting changes […]
Are you “MySpacing” and “Facebooking” your applicants? Employers are wondering whether reference checking should include visiting Web 2.0 “relationship” pages. Alas, the advice is mixed. Should your reference checks on job applicants include looking at their “relationship” Web pages, such as those found on “Facebook” or “MySpace”? Some experts say yes. It’s your job to […]
Electronic recordkeeping saves trees, office space, and maybe time, but security and retention issues come along with it. Let’s explore them. We all know the advantages of electronic recordkeeping. You get quick, simultaneous access in as many places as there are computers; you can search by keyword; and you have the capacity to manipulate data […]
Last week, President Bush vetoed a spending bill to which a minimum wage increase was attached. The president’s veto message stated that he supports an increase in the federal minimum wage, but vetoed the bill because it included a timetable for the withdrawal of American troops from Iraq.
by Marylou Fabbo, JD of Skoler, Abbott & Presser, P.C. Most employers take their obligation to properly pay their employees seriously. After all, under state and federal wage laws, an employer could be required to pay up to triple damages for wage violations. If you need additional urging to take a look at your wage […]
Twelve well-known U.S. financial services industry figures will meet Sept. 11 with the chairman of the Securities and Exchange Commission to discuss their “Fiduciary Declaration,” which will urge Congress and the agency to heighten protection for those receiving investment advice. The declaration, to be signed by Paul Volcker, John C. “Jack” Bogle, Sheila Bair and […]
A recent settlement agreement between an employer and the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) serves as a reminder that employers must consider all of an employee’s hours—regardless of where the work was performed—for overtime purposes.
Health reform has been strongly urging plans to cover the essential health benefits (EHB) package, and that means there will have to be coverage in 10 categories of health benefits. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) gave examples of what to expect under the state-based approach to defining EHB by giving examples and […]
HR is changing and HR departments have to keep pace—HR’s taking on a greater role in strategy, HR’s outsourcing, HR’s on the move. What’s happening to HR departments out there in the real world? Let’s ferret out best practices. For years, BLR® has surveyed HR and compensation/benefits professionals to find trends in policy and practice. […]
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has published final regulations that will extend employment authorization eligibility to spouses of certain nonimmigrant workers who are in the United States on H-1B visas. The H-1B, or highly-skilled worker, visa is the most commonly discussed and highly sought employment-based nonimmigrant visa. The number of visas available each year […]